July 2, 2012

20: Drop Nineteens | Delaware

We planned this small tribute so far ahead that we lost track of it when it rolled around. But it is worth noting that on June 5, 1992 -- twenty years ago last month -- Boston's own Drop Nineteens released their full-length debut Delaware on Caroline. An impossibly important record for us, on par with Ride's Nowhere and, well, a lot of other things that came out between 1990 and 1993 or so, when all the important records came out (LOLzy LOLzy ha ha ha wink wink). Or so it seemed at the time. This cover shot still pretty much exists, and every time we drive by it in Brighton Boston's South End we are awe-struck, because the cover itself seemed from a fantasy world when we were kids [thanks for the correction, Brad -- Ed.]. The fact that it is a place you can go stand and, if you are young, smoke a cigarette, that still amazes us. Delaware brims with amazing, melodic shoegaze and dream pop, from the title track, to "Winona" to the eight-minute epic "Kick The Tragedy," which, if you listen to it, now seems like an important precursor to a whole lot of the more recent M83 catalog. Just sayin'. If you don't have this, you need to do whatever it takes to acquire it. Don't believe us? Catch the stream on Spotify. Delaware, happy belated birthday to you.